Huskies too much for IU

February 05, 2006|DOUG WILSON Bloomington Hoosier Times

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Top-ranked Connecticut had too much size and talent for Indiana Saturday at Assembly Hall. The No. 22 Hoosiers (13-6, 5-3) did a lot of things right. They committed a season-low seven turnovers and that helped them take 77 shots from the field while UConn attempted just 59. But UConn (20-1, 7-1) rebounded better, shot better and committed fewer fouls, winning 88-80 after leading by 20 with 13:10 left in the game. "That's a great basketball team we played," IU coach Mike Davis said. "They're so physical, so athletic. They have so many weapons you have to try to take away." Despite falling short, Davis appreciated the effort. "I'm proud of these guys to just keep fighting," Davis said. The Huskies won the battle of the boards 45-35 and shot 54.2 percent from the field, to 37.7 percent for IU. But UConn made 16 turnovers. In the first half, UConn had nine turnovers and IU two. Sophomore sensation Rudy Gay led UConn with 19 points and 12 rebounds. The other starters in Connecticut's front line, Josh Boone and Hilton Armstrong, had 16 points each. IU also had a balanced offensive attack. Marshall Strickland led the Hoosiers with 16 points, followed by Marco Killingsworth with 15, Rod Wilmont with 14 and Robert Vaden with 12. The Hoosiers, a notoriously slow-starting team, uncharacteristically jumped out to a lead against Connecticut, with Killingsworth, Strickland and Wilmont doing most of the early scoring. "We were up nine," Vaden said (31-22 with 6:43 to go in the half. "Anytime you are up by nine on the No. 1 team in the country, then you have them on the ropes. We did not bear down and keep that lead." At the 6:43 mark of the first half, Killingsworth picked up his second foul. With Killingsworth on the bench the rest of the half, the Huskies outscored the Hoosiers 19-5 to take a 41-36 halftime lead. "Marco is the presence we need," Davis said. "When he goes out, it definitely affects us." Starting with a 12-2 burst in the second half, UConn put together a 20-point advantage at 63-43. But over the next five minutes, the Hoosiers went on a run of their own to close the gap to 71-64 with eight minutes left. Earl Calloway came off the IU bench for the first time in two games to spur that Hoosier run. He had an immediate impact, driving past defenders to the basket. Calloway had eight points, five rebounds and three assists in 11 minutes of play. "He gave us a big spark," Vaden said. "He penetrated and got in the lane." But IU never got the lead down to fewer than seven points the rest of the way. Davis said IU expended a lot of energy to get back in the game, then the Huskies made some big plays. "They are the best team we've played all year," Strickland said. "They have a lot of weapons, and they are very aggressive. Connecticut is in rhythm all the time." Having lost three of its last four games, Indiana faces another tough assignment with its next game Wednesday at Wisconsin. The Hoosiers have lost five straight in Madison, with their last win there coming in 1998. "It is a huge game for us," Strickland said. "Today's game was good because it was a change of pace. It is good to play a team like that to remind us of how good we are on a national level. But now we head back into the Big Ten and have another war on the road." IU -- 0-3 on the road in conference play -- will play three of its next four away from Bloomington. CONNECTICUT(20-1): Boone 7-9 2-2 16, Gay Jr. 6-13 4-6 19, Armstrong Jr. 6-10 4-8 16, Williams 5-10 2-2 12, Austrie 0-0 0-0 0, Adrien 2-2 0-0 4, Anderson 3-10 3-4 10, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 3-5 4-4 11. Totals 3 2-59 19-26 88. INDIANA (13-6): Killingsworth 4-13 7-8 15, Kline 0-1 0-0 0, Wilmont 5-14 0-2 14, Strickland 5-9 4-4 16, Vaden 5-19 0-0 12, Suhr 0-0 0-0 0, Ratliff 2-4 0-0 5, Allen 2-7 1-1 5, Monroe 2-5 0-0 5, Calloway 4-5 0-1 8. Totals 29-77 12-16 80. Halftime -- Connecticut 41-36. 3-Point Goals -- Connecticut 5-14 (Gay Jr. 3-4, Brown 1-2, Anderson 1-6, Armstrong Jr. 0-1, Williams 0-1), Indiana 10-29 (Wilmont 4-10, Strickland 2-3, Vaden 2-10, Mo nroe 1-1, Ratliff 1-2, Allen 0-3). Fouled Out -- None. Rebounds -- Connecticut 45 (Gay Jr. 12), Indiana 35 (Vaden 9). Assists -- Connecticut 15 (Williams 9), Indiana 16 (Strickland 5). Total Fouls -- Connec ticut 15, Indiana 21. A -- 17,324.